


To Protect And Lie

by epaynter



Series: A Collection of Unrelated Prompts for a Captain, his Professor, and their Detective [3]
Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Blackmail, Episode: s04e03 Coral Palms Pt. 3, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:34:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23418310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epaynter/pseuds/epaynter
Summary: Deputy Chief Wuntch slithers into the Nine-Nine for a little visit to discuss the events of Holt's witness protection.
Relationships: Ray Holt & Jake Peralta
Series: A Collection of Unrelated Prompts for a Captain, his Professor, and their Detective [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1674865
Comments: 9
Kudos: 138





	To Protect And Lie

"Raymond."

He doesn’t need to look up from his paperwork to identify the shrill tone bouncing off the walls of his office along with the click of the door.

He takes his time, flipping a page and removing his glasses, before he raises his eyes to meet the intruder.

"Deputy Chief Wuntch. What brings you here on such a fine early morning? I would figure that dawn repulses you," He monotones.

He knows something is amiss when she doesn’t flinch.

"Well, Raymond, I was reviewing your witness protection case file over the last week to make sure everything was," She draws out her syllables in a painstakingly slow fashion, "up to code."

"And I’m assuming you are here because you managed to find something to make a complaint about in an attempt to blackmail me? What was it, a typo perhaps?"

"Oh, Raymond, Raymond, Raymond… I wouldn’t walk down to the likes of the Nine-Nine just to boast about some typo now, would I?" She sits down and crosses her legs in a manner of which he can only describe as slithery, "We need to talk."

"By all means," His tone is steely and his fingers holding the piece of paper flick the air as if to tell her to get on with it. The page falls on the desk.

"What is the nature of the relationship between you and Detective Peralta?"

If someone were to inquire the top three subjects that he would rather die an excruciatingly violent death than discuss them in detail with the Wicked Wuntch of the West, they would be as follows:

  1. Kevin.
  2. Kevin. Mentioned twice, for emphasis.
  3. Jake Peralta.



"Our relationship is strictly captain and detective, as is the relationship with all of my detectives. What is this about exactly?"

"There was surveillance in the county sheriff’s police station and it happened to catch a very," She taps her little rat claws against the edge of his desk, "unprofessional incident that was not reported within the file."

"It did not seem necessary to report. We were wrongfully imprisoned and thus we tried brawling but the sheriff had not been interested in breaking it up. He was, however, a huge homophobe so we went with that instead," He feels rage boiling in him, he tries to reign it in. Animosity is a tool, anger is a tell, "There is no romantic connection between me and Detective Peralta and the fact that you would even suggest that astounds me."

"Oh please. I don’t think that you have any romantic desire for your detective, Raymond, don’t make me laugh," She rolls her eyes. She had been looking to bait him first, "But you do care for the boy, don’t you?"

"Detective Peralta is not a boy, he is a grown adult and a valuable detective. And I care about all of the officers here at the Nine-Nine, for the record." He says.

"The point is that I can use this to get you transferred to a new precinct far away from the people you _care_ about," She stands, "But you’ll still be captain and that’s what really matters, isn’t that right?"

He remains silent.

"Oh? You’re not going to ask me what I want?"

"I don’t think you have enough grounds to justify a transfer on such a feeble claim."

"And that is where you're wrong, Raymond. What would your husband think?"

"He already knows because I have told him about it," He seethes. He hasn’t actually mentioned it to Kevin, not that he would think anything of it- _it is Peralta they are talking about for god’s sake; he’d probably offer his condolences-_ as he hasn’t had a chance to discuss much of anything with him as of late.

The night shift is a communication killer. Between the months Kevin had been away in Paris and the months he had spent in Florida following that in quick succession, it felt like it had been an eternity since he had any concept of the current happenings in the life of his other half. He continues, "This might come as a surprise to someone like you, but my husband and I communicate to each other. He has a clear understanding of the relationship that I have with Peralta."

"Which is strictly captain and detective. And you don’t care the slightest bit beyond that?"

"Correct. I do not have any regard for him beyond the means of our professional relationship and it is beneath even you to try to bring my family life, _my husband_ , into this pathetic excuse of a witch hunt."

If it had been the time to be brutally honest, Kevin would likely lament his fondness of the young man, in his classically deadpan nature, as he has previously quipped several times often after a glass of pinot grigio, about filing adult adoption papers (a preposterous notion, as no such thing exists) to tie the platonic knot, so to speak. This is a relatively new development and Raymond has been secretly pleased that his husband had been slowly coming around to the detective, underneath the pointed sarcasm.

But this isn’t about honesty, this is about protecting the precinct and the future of the young detective in question.

"I’m just doing my job. Well, Raymond, I suppose it is almost eight so I’m assuming you are just about done your workday," She smirks. The sound of his precinct floods his ears as she swings the door open. He overhears Gina bemoan ‘oh, thank god, the bat is finally done in there,’ and it makes his mouth twitch, "We’ll be in touch."

She strides away and he watches her every move. She slows for a moment near Detective Peralta’s desk, acknowledging only him to make a point, he is certain of this.

Her checkmate is the instinctive turn of the detective’s head in Raymond's direction and the unabashed concern painted across his face.

"Looks like someone is out for blood, huh," Gina obstructs his view by swaying into the doorway and he snaps into focus.

"No more than usual."

"Uhuh, uhuh," She purses her lips, "So I was listening through the intercom because I somehow forgot to turn it off earlier- you know, sleep deprivation and all that- and it didn’t sound like nothing."

"I’ve ordered you several times to stop doing that."

"Yeah, of course, Captain, I’ll get right on it… so using Jake as a weakness, huh? That’s a new one," Gina says.

He begins a retort but she cuts him off, "I don’t really care about your beef with Wuntch, that’s all you," She pulls the door towards her so that it is nearly shut, holding the doorknob in place behind her back, " But Jake… He _really_ loves you. Like, a lot. Probably more than Charles but don’t tell him that. Seriously, Charles would keel over and die. Anyway, to Jake, you are basically like a dad to him so when he bounces over here in two minutes after it looks like we're done having this private conversation to ask you what happened with Deputy Chief Wuntch, do _not_ tell him what you told her. You will break his little fatherless heart. Capisce?"

"Thank you for the advice, Gina. However, I can assure you that I have no intention of ever repeating what I told Wuntch," He feels as if his protective instincts might just sear a hole through his chest. "Also, by all accounts, Jake Peralta is not fatherless."

"Oh, please, you mean the buffoon of a pilot with the big forehead? Doesn’t count if he’s a jerk without a parental bone in his body."

"I was not talking about Roger Peralta."

She looks surprised by his response. Whether it is due to his openness in regards to his affection for Peralta or his willingness to belittle the significance of his birth parent, he cannot be sure.

"Cool, cool, cool. Good talk, Captain," She is looking at him with what can only be described as the gaze of a proud mother hen, "So did the Deputy Chief happen to leave any evidence, photographic or video, of said hilarious unprofessional incident because I am dying here."

"No. Out."

"Ugh, fine!"

She pushes the door open with her back and yells, "Jake, you’re up."

"Captain wants to see me?"

"Nah, but you want to see him and I’m just one step ahead of everyone at all times. Sometimes two, if Saturn is in retrograde."

**Author's Note:**

> This is an odd one because it is the first B99 fic I ever wrote back in January and it had spawned from an idea I had thrown around when I was at this point in the show which was 'what if Wuntch had blackmailed Holt' and I figured this prompt series would be the least embarrassing way to post it as I was told that I should. I think my current depth of knowledge in regards to the dynamics and characters is likely the reason behind my overall hesitation to post this piece prior to now, however, I am sentimental about it being my first ever work in the fandom so here it is.


End file.
